Transaction card with carbon fiber substructure and method of making same

ABSTRACT

A transaction card has a substructure consisting at least in part of a layer of fibrous material, such as carbon fiber strands or filaments, arranged in a pre-selected pattern, such as a weave pattern, that is at least partially enclosed by a transparent plastic film. A sheet is laminated on each of two opposing faces of the substructure to form a transaction card core. One or both of the sheets laminated on the opposing faces of the substructure is also made of a transparent material, and one or both of the two opposing faces of the transaction card core can be printed. An over-laminate film, such as a transparent polyvinyl chloride plastic film, can be laminated on each of two opposing faces of the transaction card core.

PRIORITY APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.60/922,343 filed Apr. 6, 2007, entitled “TRANSACTION CARD WITH CARBONFIBER SUBSTRUCTURE”, which is incorporated herein by this reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of transactioncards and more particularly to a transaction card having a carbon fibersubstructure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The transaction card industry currently utilizes a transaction card,such as a credit card or debit card, made of certain materials andaccording to a certain specification range, such as the ISO 7810standard. That material basically comprises a white core of polyvinylchloride (PVC) plastic, with a surface which can be printed with textand/or graphics. The card is then overlaid front and back with thintransparent or clear PVC plastic which sandwiches the card. Afteroverlaying the card, certain finishing work is performed on the card toturn it into a transactable product for use, for example, at a cardreader or card device, such as an automatic teller machine (ATM).

A typical transaction card consists, for example, of four layers.According to industry standards, a typical credit card cannot be greaterthan 33 mils or less than 27 mils in thickness. The transaction cardindustry traditionally uses a process known as “split core” in which theinside materials or core of the card consist of two separate pieces ofplastic material, such as two pieces of white PVC plastic, each of whichis 13½ mils in thickness. On top of those two pieces are laminated a twomil over-laminate of clear plastic on the front and another two milover-laminate of clear plastic on the back of the core. In other words,the two pieces of white PVC plastic inner core or split core materials,13½ mils each, are joined together to form a core 27 mils thick, whichis concurrently over-laminated with the clear or transparent plasticover-laminates to form a transaction card that is 30 mils thick. Allimaging, typography and the like are printed on the front and backexposed outer surfaces of the white PVC plastic inner core, after thesplit core components are joined together, and thereafter theover-laminates are applied.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a feature and advantage of the present invention to provide atransaction card having a carbon fiber substructure which has anaesthetically unique appearance, as well as extreme durability.

To achieve the stated and other features, advantages and objects,embodiments of the present invention provide a transaction card thatincorporates a woven carbon fiber substructure into the body of astandard credit card form. The carbon fiber substructure for embodimentsof the invention is built from carbon fiber strands or filaments woveninto a weave pattern component which is then adhesive mounted betweentwo layers of clear plastic film. The substructure is then mountedbetween clear PVC plastic layers of a transaction card, such as a creditcard, and the card is then laminated to form the transaction card innercore. The outer surface of the inner core can be printed with varioustext, graphics, logos, phone numbers, and the like, and a thin layerover-laminate of clear plastic, such as PVC plastic film, can be appliedto the outer surface of each of the clear polyester layers of thetransaction card inner core.

Embodiments of the invention propose a transaction card with asubstructure consisting at least in part of a layer of fibrous material,such as carbon fiber strands or filaments, arranged in a pre-selectedpattern, such as a weave pattern. The fibrous material layer is at leastpartially enclosed by a transparent plastic film. Alternate embodimentscan employ other fibrous materials, such as one or more of mineral fiberstrands or filaments, glass fiber strands or filaments, metal fiberstrands or filaments, or polymer fiber strands or filaments. Inaddition, the substructure for embodiments of the invention can utilizeone or more substrate materials, such as amorphous polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) plastic, biaxially oriented PET plastic, orpolyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and/or one or more adhesive materials,such as polyethylene, acrylic, cyanoacrylate, and epoxy.

In embodiments of the invention, a sheet is laminated on each of twoopposing faces of the substructure to form a transaction card core. Oneor both of the sheets laminated on the opposing faces of thesubstructure is also made of a transparent material, such as transparentPVC plastic material, and one or both of the two opposing faces of thetransaction card core can be printed. An over-laminate film, such as atransparent PVC plastic film, can be laminated on each of two opposingfaces of the transaction card core. According to embodiments of theinvention the substructure, as well as the two sheets laminated on theopposing faces of the substructure, can each have a substantially equalthickness of 10 mils or a little less, and the over-laminate transparentfilm can have a thickness of about 1 mil more or less, so that theoverall thickness of the resulting transaction card is not greater than30 mils±10%.

Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention willbe set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part willbecome more apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of thefollowing, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an example of the carbon fibersubstructure for a transaction card for embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an example of the carbon fibersubstructure sandwiched between two layers of clear PVC plastic of theinner core of a transaction card for embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective partially cut-away view of an example of thecarbon fiber substructure sandwiched between two layers of clear PVCplastic of the inner core shown in FIG. 2 for a transaction card forembodiments of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an example of the carbon fibersubstructure sandwiched between two layers of clear PVC plastic of theinner core over-laminated with clear PVC plastic film for a transactioncard for embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective partially cut-away view of an example of thecarbon fiber substructure sandwiched between two layers of clear PVCplastic of the inner core over-laminated with clear PVC plastic filmover-laminates for the transaction card shown in FIG. 4 for embodimentsof the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a flow chart that illustrates an example of the process ofmaking a transaction card with a carbon fiber substructure forembodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention,one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of theinvention, not as a limitation of the invention. It will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that various modifications and variations canbe made in the present invention without departing from the scope orspirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or describedas part of one embodiment can be used on another embodiment to yield astill further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the presentinvention cover such modifications and variations that come within thescope of the invention.

Embodiments of the present invention utilize carbon fiber as a componentof a transaction card, such as a credit card, a debit card, a smartcard, and/or any other type of transaction card (it being understoodthat “transaction card” as used herein includes, without limitation,credit card, debit card, ATM card, gift card, loyalty card, smart card,stored value card, contactless card, access card, payment card, etc.).Such use of carbon fiber as a component of a transaction card not onlyaddresses an issue of aesthetics by providing a unique appearance, butalso addresses an issue of practicality by providing a transaction cardof extreme durability.

The transaction card for embodiments of the invention incorporates acarbon fiber substructure, such as a woven carbon fiber substructure,into the body of a standard credit card form, such as ISO CR80 [thedimensions of which are 3.375″×2.125″ (85.6 mm×54 mm)]. It is to benoted that the reference to the ISO CR80 standard is not intended to beexclusive, and embodiments of the invention include all types and sizesof transaction cards according to any other standard or standards, aswell as all types and sizes of non-standard transaction cards.

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of the carbon fibersubstructure 10 for a transaction card for embodiments of the invention.According to embodiments of the invention, carbon fiber strands orfilaments are woven into a weave pattern component 12 using commerciallyavailable equipment. Thereafter, the weave pattern component 12 ismounted between two layers 14 of thin clear plastic and adhesive 16,such as clear PVC plastic film, as shown in FIG. 1. The thin clearplastic layers 14 hold the carbon fibers together and keep the weavepattern 12 of the substructure 10 intact. The adhesive 16 fills the airvoids around the carbon fibers and bonds the fibers to the PVC skin 14.

The substructure 10 is thereafter mounted between clear PVC plasticlayers of a transaction card, such as a credit card, and the componentsare then laminated together to form the inner core of the transactioncard. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of the carbonfiber substructure 10 sandwiched between the two layers 18 of clear PVCplastic, and FIG. 3 shows a perspective partially cut-away view of anexample of the carbon fiber substructure 10 sandwiched between the twolayers 18 of clear PVC plastic, to form the inner core 20 of thetransaction card for embodiments of the present invention.

The outer surface 22 of the inner core 20 of the card can be printedwith various text, graphics, logos, phone numbers, and the like, orother printed plastic sheets can be attached by lamination. Materialsfor the carbon fiber substructure 10 include various combinations ofsubstrates such as both amorphous and biaxially oriented forms ofpolyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic or combinations of both,polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, other suitable plastics, adhesivessuch as polyethylene, acrylic, cyanoacrylate, epoxies, and carbon fiberscommonly used for extreme durability strength in airplane structures,automotive components, etc.

Embodiments of the invention involve building the substructure 10 usingpolyester, polyethylene, acrylic, and/or epoxies with carbon fiber,which is then sandwiched in the middle of the card core 20 between twolayers 18 of clear PVC plastic, and possibly two additional layers ofthin PVC plastic over-laminate on the outer surfaces of the clear PVCplastic layers 18 of the inner core 20. It is to be understood thatwhile embodiments of the invention employ layers 18 of PVC plastic forthe card core 20, any suitable material, such as a composite of PVC andPET, can be used for layers 18 as well. FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectionalview of an example of the carbon fiber substructure 10 sandwichedbetween two layers 18 of clear PVC plastic over-laminated with clear PVCplastic over-laminates 24, and FIG. 5 shows a perspective partiallycut-away view of an example of the carbon fiber substructure 10sandwiched between two layers 18 of clear PVC plastic which areover-laminated with clear PVC plastic over-laminates 24, in atransaction card 26 for embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart that illustrates an example of the process ofmaking a transaction card 26 with a carbon fiber substructure 10 forembodiments of the invention. Referring to FIG. 6, at S1, a layer offibrous material, such as carbon fiber strands or filaments, is arrangedin a pre-selected pattern 12, such as a weave pattern. At S2, the layer12 of fibrous material is enclosed at least in part by a transparentplastic film 14, such as a thin film of clear PVC, with an adhesive,such as epoxy, to form a substructure 10. Thereafter, at S3, a plasticsheet 18, such as a PVC or PVC/PET composite plastic sheet (at least oneof which sheets is clear PVC or PVC/PET composite) is laminated on eachof two opposing faces of the substructure 10 to form a transaction cardcore 20, and at S4, an over-laminate film 24, such as a thin film ofclear PVC plastic, is laminated on each of two opposing faces 22 of thetransaction card core 20 to form a transaction card 26.

The carbon fiber substructure 10 gives the card 26 for embodiments ofthe invention strength and torque resistance, an enhanced cosmetic valuewith a three-dimensional effect, and the two layers 18 of clear PVC orPVC/PET composite plastic of the inner core 20 also serve as the mediafor printing. The transaction card 26 for embodiments of the inventionhas potential for extreme durability, as the carbon fibers are verylightweight but extremely strong. Further, the graphics, logos,holograms, and the like are protected by the clear thin PVC plasticover-laminates 24, if used.

As previously noted, a typical conventional credit card consists of twopieces of white PVC plastic inner core or split core materials, 13½ milseach, that are joined together to form a white PVC plastic core 27 milsthick, the back and front of which are each then over-laminated with athin layer of clear or transparent plastic over-laminate to form atransaction card that is 30 mils thick. However, embodiments of thepresent invention employ a carbon fiber substructure 10 with a thicknessof 10 mils more or less sandwiched between two layers 18 of clear oropaque PVC plastic (of which at least one side is clear), each of whichis likewise 10 mils or less in thickness, such that the total thicknessof the resulting composite 26 is 30 mils (including 2 mils±laminationfilm)±10%.

The carbon fiber substructure 10 for embodiments of the inventionconsists of the weave pattern component 12 mounted between two layers 14of thin film clear PVC with epoxy adhesive that holds the carbon fiberstogether and keeps the weave pattern 12 intact. The carbon fibersubstructure 10 is thus stable with a substantially flat thickness ofapproximately 10 mils or about one-third of the approximately 30 milstotal thickness of the transaction card 26, although embodiments of theinvention include carbon fiber substructures 10 having thicknesses thatare greater than or less than 10 mils or greater than or less thanone-third of the total thickness of the transaction card 26.

The pattern into which the carbon fiber is woven for the carbon fibersubstructure 10 for embodiments of the invention can take various forms,such as something similar to a basket weave or any other type of weavepattern. Embodiments of the invention include a predetermined optimumrange of carbon fiber strands per weave and a suitable manner in whichthe strands are overlaid on one another to form a unique appearing weavepattern. The unique weave pattern is due at least in part to thephysical and/or chemical properties of the carbon fiber whichcontributes to its apparent change in appearance depending, for example,on the angle of incident light and the perspective from which it isviewed by an observer.

As previously noted, embodiments of the invention utilize any suitableadhesive material, such as one or more adhesive resins, in fabricatingthe carbon fiber substructure 10. Further, embodiments of the inventionutilize other suitable materials that can be made to resemble carbonfiber including for example, mineral fibers, such as glass and/or metalfibers, and various polymer fibers in fabricating the fibersubstructure.

The transaction card 26 employing the carbon fiber substructure 10 forembodiments of the invention is useable in all respects in exactly thesame way as a conventional transaction card, for example, in a cardreader, card printer, or other card handling mechanism. For example, thetransaction card for embodiments of the invention can be tipped,embossed, can have a signature panel applied, can have a hologramapplied, and can be printed, etc. in the same way as any conventionaltransaction card.

Further, the transaction card 26 for embodiments of the invention can beembossed, embedded with a microchip for a smart card or can have one ormore magnetic stripes or other data storage media affixed to it. Asnoted above, embodiments of the invention involve sandwiching the carbonfiber substructure 10 approximately 10 mils or less in thickness (i.e.,approximately one-third of the overall thickness of the card) betweentwo sheets 18 of clear plastic, such as clear PVC, each approximately 10mils or less in thickness, so that the overall thickness of thetransaction card is approximately 30 mils.

In addition, embodiments of the invention include a thin over-laminate24 of clear plastic, such as PVC film, applied to the outer surface 22of each of the clear sheets 18 of the inner core 20 of the card 26. Inany event, the total thickness of the card 26 for embodiments of theinvention meets all standards applicable to conventional financialtransaction cards, such as the foregoing thickness requirement. Further,although the outer layers 18 of the transaction card 26 for embodimentsof the invention are transparent, the carbon fiber substructure 10sandwiched between the transparent, tinted transparent, or incombination with opaque outer layers 18 is opaque to visible or infraredlight, which likewise meets all standards applicable to credit cards.

Various embodiments of the invention have been described in fulfillmentof the various objects of the invention. It should be recognized thatthese embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles of thepresent invention. Numerous modifications and adaptations thereof willbe readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A transaction card, comprising: a transactioncard substructure comprising a layer of fibrous material arranged in apre-selected pattern that is at least partially enclosed on each side bya transparent plastic film; a sheet laminated on each of two opposingfaces of the transaction card substructure to form a transaction cardcore, wherein at least one of the sheets comprises a transparentmaterial and wherein the transparent material comprises transparentpolyvinyl chloride plastic; and, an over-laminate film laminated on eachof two opposing faces of the transaction card core, wherein at least oneof the over-laminate films comprises a transparent film.
 2. Thetransaction card of claim 1, wherein the pre-selected pattern comprisesa weave pattern.
 3. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the fibrousmaterial layer comprises carbon fiber strands or filaments.
 4. Thetransaction card of claim 1, wherein the layer of fibrous materialcomprises fiber strands or filaments selected from the group consistingof mineral fiber strands or filaments, glass fiber strands or filaments,metal fiber strands or filaments, and polymer fiber strands andfilaments.
 5. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the transactioncard substructure further comprises a substrate material selected fromthe group consisting of amorphous polyethylene terephthalate plastic,biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate plastic, and polyvinylchloride plastic.
 6. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein thetransaction card substructure further comprises an adhesive materialselected from the group consisting of polyethylene, acrylic,cyanoacrylate, and epoxy.
 7. The transaction card of claim 1, whereineach of the sheets laminated on the two opposing faces of thetransaction card substructure comprises a transparent material.
 8. Thetransaction card of claim 7, wherein the transparent material comprisestransparent polyvinyl chloride plastic.
 9. The transaction card of claim1, wherein at least one of the two opposing faces of the transactioncard core is printed.
 10. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein thetransaction card substructure and the sheets laminated on the twoopposing faces of the transaction card substructure each has apre-determined thickness that is substantially identical.
 11. Thetransaction card of claim 1, wherein each of the over-laminate filmscomprises a transparent film.
 12. The transaction card of claim 11,wherein each of the over-laminate films comprises a transparentpolyvinyl chloride plastic film.
 13. The transaction card of claim 1,wherein each sheet laminated on each of two opposing faces of thetransaction card substructure is approximately 10 mils or less inthickness.
 14. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the transactioncard substructure is approximately one-third of the overall thickness ofthe transaction card.
 15. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein thetransaction card substructure is approximately 10 mils or less inthickness.